


A Cure For The Common Cold

by CobaltStargazer



Category: Rizzoli & Isles
Genre: Developing Relationship, F/F, Illness, Jane Rizzoli Is The Worst Sick Person Ever, Rizzles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-20
Updated: 2016-07-20
Packaged: 2018-07-25 15:07:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,352
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7537513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CobaltStargazer/pseuds/CobaltStargazer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jane and Maura play doctor, but not the way Jane would have wanted to.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Cure For The Common Cold

**Author's Note:**

> This was born because of a prompt of sorts that someone linked me to on Tumblr.

When the coughing started again, Maura ladled more soup into a blue bowl from the cupboard, then found a clean glass for orange juice. Vitamin C and chicken broth were simple curatives, but they were also effective ones. Just because she was a believer in science, that didn't mean she couldn't go back to basics. If only because it let her take care of Jane at close quarters.

"Are you ready to eat again? I want to take your temperature first, but its been a few hours since you've eaten. You need to keep your strength up."

The brunette had managed to prop herself up in the bed, and from her position leaning against the pillows she blew her nose, then pitched the Kleenex at the wastebasket and missed. "Damn it." She'd been sick for four days, but it felt like it had been four weeks. Maura put the tray down, then gingerly picked up the used tissue and dropped it into the trash. Jane gave the bowl a suspicious look.

"What's in that?"

"Organic cabbage," the medical examiner said brightly. "Acorn squash and sweet potatoes, also organic. Filtered water, minced garlic, bay leaves..."

Jane's expression had gradually gone from suspicious to disbelieving to vaguely horrified, and she interrupted the litany of ingredients to say, "You're trying to kill me, aren't you? Isn't meat protein-rich and therefore better for you? Can't I just have a burger or something?"

"You know better," Maura said primly. "Vegetables are good and good for you, especially when you're sick. Organic is a little more expensive, but quality is what matters when you're combating illness." She made a mental note to empty the wastebasket once they'd tended to this. And buy another box of tissues. Or two.

The detective scowled, wishing for a Big Mac, or at least some fries. With ketchup. Ketchup was a vegetable, right? Being made with tomatoes must count for _something_. She looked at the contents of the bowl again, and a new fit of coughing prevented her from further complaining. Her immune system was usually more than up to par, but she must have picked up a random bug somewhere. Her naturally husky voice was raspier than usual when she said, "Is there any ice cream left? If I have to eat that, I want dessert."

"There _might_ be some," Maura said. "And stop pouting. It won't hurt you to eat something that's completely healthy for a change."

"I'm not...." Jane's teeth clacked together, cutting the sentence short, and she pushed her fingers through her hair. For all of her griping, she really didn't mind it when Maura tended to her. Being not prone to sickness made her the lousiest patient in the world and she knew it. So she forced a smile.

Privately Maura thought the pout was adorable, but it was better not to let that show. Because otherwise Jane would continue to balk and the soup would go uneaten. "Temperature first," she said, extracting the thermometer from its plastic container. She'd cleaned it with rubbing alcohol, then rinsed it with hot water. "I want to see if your fever's gone down."

Reluctantly, Jane allowed the thermometer under her tongue, and it almost came to an interesting point, but she was too sick for much flirting, and Maura was distracted by the logistics of whether or not to hold the bowl or to let the brunette do it. The detective closed her eyes when the blonde put the back of her hand against her forehead, savoring both the contact and the cooler touch. She felt less feverish than she had earlier, and the chills had subsided, but she doubted Maura would believe her if she said she felt a lot better.

"I hate it when you're right."

"Don't talk."

Maura busied herself with the wastebasket, emptying it in the kitchen and replacing the plastic bag. The larger portion of soup was in a covered pot on the stove, and she checked the burner to make sure she'd turned it down low enough before checking her watch. Four minutes had passed, and she went back to the bedroom and removed the thermometer from Jane's mouth and checked it. 

"Well, its down below one hundred, but not by much," she said, and Jane's scowl re-appeared, but it was a muted version of it. She'd been sleeping a lot while she'd been confined to her bed, and being idle would have had her climbing the walls if she'd had the strength for it. It might have been worth it if she had been able to get some cuddling out of it, but she didn't want to give Maura this Godforsaken germ, whatever it was. No sense in both of them being miserable.

"Do I have to eat that?" Her voice was plaintive, and Maura patted her shoulder in a consoling way before touching her hair. 

"Yes, you do," she replied. "You'll feel better more quickly, and this is a lot better for you than a burger."

She carefully re-arranged the pillows, making it more comfortable for Jane to sit up, then handed her the glass of orange juice. The brunette sipped at it, felt grateful that the congestion had subsided enough that she could taste it. She wanted, _needed_ to be well by the end of this week. She might have to slow down because of a cold, but the crime rate waited for no one.

"You're so cute when you sulk."

Maura smiled at Jane's warning look in a sunny fashion, picked up the bowl. No use running the risk of the soup getting spilled all over the bed. The brunette's nose wrinkled, but she grudgingly accepted a few spoonfuls of soup. And one of the drawbacks of being able to taste things again was that the flavor of the soup was in full force. The garlic was tolerable, but that was the only redeeming feature. 

The blonde watched the other woman eat, albeit reluctantly, and when Jane indicated that she'd had enough she put the bowl on the dresser. She pressed the back of her hand against the brunette's forehead again, more for the sake of comfort than anything else. Despite her teasing, she knew Jane hated being sick, hated the necessity of being vulnerable. 

"Was it really that bad?"

There was a pause while Jane gave the soup bowl a faintly baleful look, and then her shoulders relaxed the slightest fraction. 

"No. Just.....add a little more garlic next time, okay?"

Maura kissed Jane lightly on the forehead before she retreated, because that was _really_ a better test for a fever than the back of her hand. She moved the pillows again, saying, "Get some rest. The fever's almost gone, so the cough should be the next thing to go. But only if you take it easy."

"When I get out of this bed, we're going to have that date," Jane said, and her voice was already drowsy as she laid back down. A full stomach did wonders for making her well, but she knew she wouldn't be at full strength for a few more days yet. Her crankiness had been blunted by Maura's cheery disposition, though, and that helped. A little.

Okay, _more_ than a little.

"Thanks, Maura." 

She said it just as the blonde was about to exit the room, and it was close to dusk, she could see the shadows lengthening beyond the bedroom window. She'd feel better tomorrow. She had to, before she went stir crazy.

"You want the light off?" Maura asked, pausing close to the wall switch. 

Jane nodded, then turned over on her other side before facing the other woman again. "But leave the door open," she said, her voice making it clear she'd run out of steam. "So you can...y'know, check on me."

Maura hovered in the doorway, biting her lower lip to contain the amusement. If she laughed, Jane would not appreciate the humor. But right after she flipped the light switch, throwing the room into semi-darkness, her voice was audible when she said, "You really are _so_ adorable sometimes."


End file.
